Washington Gorge Action Programs is considering its options after learning a key supplier to its food bank program has is discontinuing service to food assistance programs across rural communities in Washington. WAGAP executive director Leslie Naramore says the Washington State Department of Agriculture notified her of the decision by the group Second Harvest without further explanation, leaving WAGAP scrambling to minimize the impact on their clients. WAGAP Nutrition Programs director Janeal Booren said the biggest impact to their clients will be access to healthy fresh foods and protein items. WAGAP officials say talks are underway with Clark County Food Bank to see if it can provide surplus items to WAGAP and act as a subcontractor to supplement fresh and frozen foods. The proposed arrangement could serve as a stop-gap measure to temporarily bridge WAGAP’s supply chain through March. Those who would like to donate to WAGAP’s nutrition program can go to wagap.org.
NCPHD Hosts Vaccine Clinic This Week
North Central Public Health District will be hosting a vaccine clinic this week in The Dalles. The clinic runs this Thursday through Saturday 523 E. 3rd St., at the former Griffith Motors building. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. No appointment, insurance, or ID is needed. The clinic will have three COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer, Moderna, and the newer Novavax vaccine, with both primary and the updated booster dose, available. The updated booster can be given two months after your last dose. And while this clinic will have the regular-dose flu shot available, it will not have the shot formulated for seniors. The JYNNEOS vaccine against monkeypox is also available.
December 12 Prep Sports Roundup
Boys Basketball
Hood River Valley 66, Estacada 47: Zak Poole scored 18 points while Sawyer Clemett tallied 16 and Isaiah Poole 13 to pace the Eagles to their first win of the season.
Columbia 55, Corbett 35
Girls Basketball
Hood River Valley 54, Estacada 42: Marina Castaneda notched 20 points and Abby Schrankel 15 as the Eagles evened their record at 2-2.
Corbett 64, Columbia 39
Kalama 43, Stevenson 27
TDPD Arrest Man After Shots Fire Report At Kelly Viewpoint
A suspect was taken into custody early Saturday morning after The Dalles Police received a call reporting shots fire at Kelly Viewpoint. According to the police department, the call came in at 11:50 p.m. Friday night. Officers contacted a group of young adults, and several witnesses were able to provide video of a vehicle driving recklessly in a parking lot prior to the shots being fired from that vehicle, and officers found multiple shell casings. Law enforcement was able to read the license plate on the vehicle from the video obtained, and found the vehicle in a parking lot on West 6th. Officers were able to arrest the suspect, and a handgun was found inside the vehicle that was later determined to be stolen. The suspect was lodged at NORCOR on multiple felony charges. The Oregon State Police, Wasco County Sheriff’s Office, and Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Police were all involved in the investigation.
Accident At Highway 141/141A Junction Injures Four
Four people were injured when a van went down an embankment on Monday morning at the junctions of Highways 141 and 141A in Klickitat County. According to the Washington State Patrol, the van was northbound on Highway 141 at about 8:30 Monday morning when it hit black ice, went off the roadway and down an embankment, coming to rest on its side. The WSP says the four men from Portland, ranging in age from 27 to 35, were taken to area hospitals with undisclosed injuries. The WSP indicated only one of the four was wearing a seatbelt. The van was totaled. The WSP says no drugs or alcohol were involved in the incident.
HR County To Get Private Forest Accord Protections
Hood River County has been informed it will be protected under terms of the recently approved Private Forest Accord between private landowners and environmental groups. County Commission Chair Mike Oates says the accord calls for changing forest practice rules in a way that expands protections for fish and amphibians, and protect private forest land owners from lawsuits. But the accord rules were going to apply to county and state-owned lands without the lawsuit protections. Oates says they were told last week Hood River County will be able to opt-in to the protections as well. Oates notes the regulations under the accord won’t have a large impact on the County’s forest practices, but it does put minimums in where the County would always evaluate each site individually.
Klickitat PUD To Hold Rate Hearing Tuesday
Klickitat PUD will be holding a 2023 budget and electric rate hearing Tuesday, with staff presenting a proposal for electric rate increases designed to increase rate revenues by 4.5% effective with the start of the New Year. These increases will vary by rate class, with residential and small general service rate revenues to increase by 2.5%. Klickitat PUD has not increased electric rates since 2019. The PUD says customers are using more power than is available from our McNary hydro-electric project, and from BPA at BPA’s lowest preference rate. The utility purchases the additional power needed at prices heavily influenced by the wholesale power market, and those market prices are increasing, a trend expected to continue. The hearing will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the PUD office in Goldendale. The proposal details are available at klickitatpud.com.
Hood River City Council Meeting Postponed One Week
Tonight’s scheduled Hood River City Council meeting has been pushed back a week. It will now be held next Monday night, December 19, at 5:30 p.m. in Hood River City Hall. It will be the only meeting of the month, with the second cancelled due to the Christmas holiday. The Dalles City Council will meet at 6 p.m. this evening in their chambers in The Dalles City Hall.
Underwood CD Tree Of Heaven Control Program Underway
Underwood Conservation District is in the midst of a program to control Tree of Heaven in the area. District Director Tova Tillinghast says it can look nice, but it can also take over yards and lots very quickly sending out roots underground and taking over native habitats and riparian areas. Tree of Heaven is native to Asia, and is the preferred host of the Spotted Lanternfly, a piercing, sucking insect that could threatened local agricultural crops like cherries and grapes. A Zoom workshop on Tree of Heaven is planned for Thursday at 6 pm. For information on how to register, go to ucdwa.org.
CAT Announces New Program For Veterans
Columbia Area Transit has announced a new program for Veterans. The Go Vets Columbia Gorge program provides Veterans with transit opportunities through free fares and passes, along with travel training on how best to use the transit system. All Veterans are eligible for the Go Vets Columbia Gorge program that includes a book-in-advance medical shuttle to the Portland metro area, Dial-a-Ride in Hood River and Wasco counties, the annual Gorge Pass, and Wasco County Shuttle Services. To take part in the Go Vets Columbia Gorge program call (541) 386-4202 to set appointment to discuss your travel needs and goals., or contact your Veteran Services Office for more information in Hood River or The Dalles.